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Pit (game)
Pit is a fast-paced card game for three to eight players, designed to simulate open outcry bidding for commodities. The game was developed for Parker Brothers and first sold in 1904. This popular version of the game was developed by Edgar Cayce citing article , who would also become famous for his psychic predictions.History of Pit at boardgamegeek.com. Accessed August 2007 The inspiration was the US Corn Exchange and it was likely based on the very successful game Gavitt's Stock Exchange, invented in 1903 by Harry E. Gavitt of Topeka, Kansas (and reprinted in 2004 in an authentic "heirloom" edition by Out of the Box Publishing). Contents Each deck consists of 74 cards with nine cards each of eight different commodities. The specific commodities have varied over the various editions of the game, but those used in most modern editions are Barley, Corn, Coffee, Oranges, Oats, Soybeans, Sugar and Wheat. The classic version has flax, hay, oats, rye, corn, barley, and wheat. Two special cards are also included, the Bull and the Bear. Play The number of commodities included in each round is equal to the number of players. Each player is dealt nine cards; two players get ten if the Bull and Bear are included. Pit has no turns, and everyone plays at once. Players trade commodities among one another by each blindly exchanging one to four cards of the same type. The trading process involves calling out the number of cards one wishes to trade until another player holds out an equal number of cards. The two parties then exchange the cards face down. When a player has nine cards of the same commodity, he or she will call out "Corner on..." the commodity they have obtained, ending the round. (In deluxe editions of the game, a bell is rung instead.) That player then earns points equal to the number value of the commodity they "went out" with. In some areas across the country instead of a bell being used; some will use spoons, using one less spoon than the amount of players. When someone collects all of one commodity; they then sneak a spoon off the table as game play continues. At this point another player may see a spoon missing and then grab another spoon sending everyone into a frenzy until all spoons are gone. The player left without a spoon usually is docked an extra amount of points. The Bull and the Bear The Bull card is considered "wild" and can be used to complete any set or, if the player has the full nine cards as well as the Bull, double the score for that round. A player cannot win if they hold the Bear, and at the end of each round, the player holding the Bear and any losing player holding the Bull each lose 20 points. The game ends when either a set number of rounds have been played, or when a player reaches a certain point total. Variations The original edition contained only seven commodities. Newer versions include seven or eight commodities, replacing Flax, Hay and Rye with Oranges, Coffee, Sugar and Soybeans. The 100th anniversary edition released in 2004 included a reproduction of the original edition as well as a brand new edition that featured 8 "modernized" commodities. Phrases often used during play ; Chasing the bear : When one attempts to follow the progress of the bear after trading it away by watching the following trades. ; Going for a hay ride : When one attempts to pick up all of a commodity that one has little of, because one has traded enough of it back and forth that one has an idea where it is all located. ; Slip him/her the bull/bear : When one trades away the bull/bear, usually just before the game ends. ; The granary : A player's hand. ; Getting flaxed : Inadvertently acquiring an abundance of flax, the commodity with the lowest value. ; Flaxing out : Cornering the market on flax. ; Bear trap : Receipt of the Bear just preceding the ring of the bell to signify the game's end; doubly nasty if receipt of the Bear was part of the final trade that facilitated the winning hand. References Category:Dedicated deck card games Category:Parker Brothers games